Hotfooting it to Manchester to become the latest recipient of a Variety Lifetime Achievement Award will be David Essex.

And it won’t be the first honour bestowed on him by the showbiz world’s children’s charity. Around 40 years ago, after he played Jesus Christ in Godspell, Essex was given a “most promising newcomer” award by the Variety Club of Great Britain.

“I don’t know if I fulfilled that prediction,” laughs Essex, now aged 65.

“I do remember getting that award. It was like a silver heart on strings. I remember it being on a shelf in the office.

“I still have it somewhere, but it fell to bits slightly.”

Essex – who already has an OBE in recognition of his work for charity, particularly Voluntary Service Overseas – will be attending the presentation night at the Palace Hotel, Manchester, on Saturday with his wife Susan, daughter Verity. and two of his three sons, Danny and Billy.

“My five grandchildren are a bit young to come,” he says. “Mum and dad are up in heaven. They may be having a look down, who knows.”

Lyn Staunton, development director of Variety North West, says: “David Essex OBE is loved and respected around the world and Variety, the children’s charity is very excited that David will be accepting this prestigious award.

“It is set to be an evening to remember and we hope our guests will dig deep to support Variety.”

Prizes up for grabs on the night to help raise money for Variety will include hotel breaks, a set of fine champagnes and a signed Liza Minnelli theatre poster.

Impressario David Gest has also donated a signed Kirk Douglas and Jan Sterling poster from the film Ace In The Hole, and a rare black and white photograph of Whitney Houston with her own personal letter-headed writing paper signed by the late singer herself which will be auctioned off at the event.

The assembled company will hear about a life in showbiz which began with a bang in the early 1970s when, in a short space of time, young Essex was a stage hit in Godspell, a cinema box office draw in That’ll Be The Day and scaling the pop charts with a slew of hits such as Rock On.

“I’ll be shy and embarrassed. I’ll probably hide behind a serviette,” says the man himself. “There are some speakers and it will be interesting to see what people have to say about me.

“I know Sir Tim Rice is one of them and Steve John Shepherd from EastEnders – an actor I really admire.

“I’m thrilled by it, but also slightly perturbed because lifetime achievement awards are the kind of thing you get when you’re about to kick the bucket. But I believe I’m far from that.”

So fit for action is Essex that the week after the award bash, he will be starting a 33-date UK tour, calling at the Apollo, Manchester, on Monday, November 19.

Next year probably brings more film work for the famously forward-looking entertainer.

It also sees the release of Traveller, a movie about gypsy life in which Essex is one of the stars, alongside son Billy Cook.